Election Day Is Finally Here

Courtesy of Huffington Post

After all the speeches, debates, television and newspaper ads, phone banks, door-to-door campaigning and robocalls, Election Day has finally arrived.

Please vote today!  Every vote does count! 

If you already exercised your right to vote by going to the polls early or by using an absentee ballot, sit back and enjoy some quirky voting quotes that I saw in a recent Huffington Post story:

"Half of American people have read a newspaper.  Half never voted for President.  One hopes it is the same half."  ~ Gore Vidal

"Bad officials are lected by good citizens who do not vote." ~ George Jean Nathan

"The best argument against democracy us a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
  ~ Winston Churchill

"In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state.  When we are ill...we do not ask for the handsomest physician or the most eloquent one."
  ~ Plato

"Thinking is not to agree or disagree.  That's voting." ~ Robert Frost

"Anti-intellectulism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' " ~ Isaac Asimov

"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~ John Quincy Adams

"In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard's vote." ~ David Foster Wallace

Courtesy of New York Daily News

A Grandfather's Last Letter

 

 

Grandfathers and Grandchildren Learn From Each Other

Many people have good intentions when it comes to writing down their thoughts and feelings about their loved ones.  But then, unfortunately, something happens and they never get to it.  Letting those who are special to you know exactly how you feel about them on paper (in a positive way) is an incredible gift.  Without such a note or letter you are left to either guess at how the person felt about you or you can go on your memory, which depending on your age, could be fuzzy. 

 

Now along comes James K. Flanagan and he shows us all how to do it.

 

God bless James K. Flanagan for he knew how to put more happiness into the lives of his grandchildren by leaving them with a one-of-a-kind treasure.  I saw this story yesterday in the Huffington Post and right away was amazed by what Flanagan wrote to his five grandchildren a few months before he died. 

 

I can't pick out the most important pieces of wisdom Flanagan listed for they all are important for different reasons.  Outstanding job Mr. Flanagan.  I think you covered everything!!!

James K. Flanagan: A Grandfather's Last Letter To His Grandkids

On Sept. 3, 2012, James K. Flanagan of West Long Branch, N.J., died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He wrote this letter to his five grandchildren just months earlier and it is reprinted here with the permission of his daughter Rachel Creighton.

Dear Ryan, Conor, Brendan, Charlie, and Mary Catherine,

My wise and thoughtful daughter Rachel urged me to write down some advice for you, the important things that I have learned about life. I am beginning this on 8 April 2012, the eve of my 72nd birthday.

1. Each one of you is a wonderful gift of God both to your family and to all the world. Remember it always, especially when the cold winds of doubt and discouragement fall upon your life.

2. Be not afraid . . . of anyone or of anything when it comes to living your life most fully. Pursue your hopes and your dreams no matter how difficult or "different" they may seem to others. Far too many people don't do what they want or should do because of what they imagine others may think or say. Remember, if they don't bring you chicken soup when you're sick or stand by you when you're in trouble, they don't matter. Avoid those sour-souled pessimists who listen to your dreams then say, "Yeah, but what if . . ." The heck with "what if. . ." Do it! The worst thing in life is to look back and say: "I would have; I could have; I should have." Take risks, make mistakes.

3. Everyone in the world is just an ordinary person. Some people may wear fancy hats or have big titles or (temporarily) have power and want you to think they are above the rest. Don't believe them. They have the same doubts, fears, and hopes; they eat, drink, sleep, and fart like everyone else. Question authority always but be wise and careful about the way you do it.

4. Make a Life List of all those things you want to do: travel to places; learn a skill; master a language; meet someone special. Make it long and do some things from it every year. Don't say "I'll do it tomorrow" (or next month or next year). That is the surest way to fail to do something. There is no tomorrow, and there is no "right" time to begin something except now.

5. Practice the Irish proverb: Moi an olge agus tiocfaidh sí "Praise the child and she will flourish."

6. Be kind and go out of your way to help people -- especially the weak, the fearful, and children. Everyone is carrying a special sorrow, and they need our compassion.

7. Don't join the military or any organization that trains you to kill. War is evil. All wars are started by old men who force or fool young men to hate and to kill each other. The old men survive, and, just as they started the war with pen and paper, they end it the same way. So many good and innocent people die. If wars are so good and noble, why aren't those leaders who start wars right up there fighting?

8. Read books, as many as you can. They are a wonderful source of delight, wisdom, and inspiration. They need no batteries or connections, and they can go anywhere.

9. Be truthful.

10. Travel: always but especially when you are young. Don't wait until you have "enough" money or until everything is "just right." That never happens. Get your passport today.

11. Pick your job or profession because you love to do it. Sure, there will be some things hard about it, but a job must be a joy. Beware of taking a job for money alone -- it will cripple your soul.

12. Don't yell. It never works, and it hurts both yourself and others. Every time I have yelled, I have failed.

13. Always keep promises to children. Don't say "we'll see" when you mean "no." Children expect the truth; give it to them with love and kindness.

14. Never tell anyone you love them when you don't.

15. Live in harmony with Nature: go into the outdoors, woods, mountains, sea, desert. It's important for your soul.

16. Visit Ireland. It's where the soul of our family was born -- especially the West: Roscommon, Clare, and Kerry.

17. Hug people you love. Tell them how much they mean to you now; don't wait until it's too late.

18. Be grateful. There is an Irish saying: "This is a day in our lives, and it will not come again." Live every day with this in mind.

As was written in his obituary, James K. Flanagan "was proudly liberal and fought unyieldingly for the underdog. He was an accomplished author, poet, and seanchai -- Irish storyteller; he reveled in recounting the joy of growing up Catholic in Jersey City and his adventures in the Adirondack Mountains and on the Western coast of Ireland. His greatest love was spending time with his family, most of all his five grandchildren" Ryan (11); Conor (10); Brendan (9); Charles (8); and Mary Catherine (5)."

Worrying vs Caring

In our post 9/11 world, I think a lot of us operate as though the other shoe is going to drop any minute.  When I find myself in that mode, I try to put the brakes on the fear, the anxiety or whatever you want to call it  because walking around worrying doesn't accomplish anything.  Unfortunately, this can become a regular way of dealing with things, which can be harmful to yourself.

You can't worry about a situation because you can't control it.  But you do have power over yourself and you can try to control your responses to life's more stressful events.  You are re-teaching yourself how to respond to various people in your daily life and it takes some practice.  The first itme I tried reacting differently to a situation I considered dysfunctional, I was truly surprised.  I did feel calmer because I wasn't investing negative energy into it.

With that in mind, I saw this story in yesterday's Huffington Post and thought it was timely:

Worrying vs Caring: Do You Know The Difference?

By Donna Labermeier

Most people would say that worrying is pointless and a waste of time and energy. I submit to you that it is actually harmful. Here's why: Worry is fear-based. It is a projection of negative energy. Caring, on the other hand, is a projection of positive energy. When you care about situations or people, you're hopeful that things will get better. When you worry about them, you're afraid they won't.

Consider these three reasons you need to quit worrying, starting today:

1. Adding Fuel to the Fire:

When we worry about someone or something, we direct our energy toward the situation. We are, in fact, putting fear and doubt into an already shaky state of affairs. For instance, maybe you recently found out that a close friend hasn't been feeling well... something about a pain in her stomach. So what's the first thing you do? Probably start contemplating the myriad of medical conditions she could have (not that you're a doctor). Then, you call a mutual friend and discuss the issue with her -- "Cancer? Appendix? Kidneys?" (Not that she's a doctor, either.) So then that person goes to the beauty salon and discusses it some more, and those individuals commiserate and worry along with her. How many people is that now adding their energies into the mix? It's okay to talk about what's going on around you, but try to at least put a positive spin on it, like, "Carol told me she's been having some pain, but I'm sure she'll go see her doctor, and it'll all work out just fine. I hope she feels better."

Hear the difference? One approach is called spreading gossip, which is harmful, and the other shows she genuinely cares about another person's well-being.

Let's look at the news for a moment. Nowadays, we have 24-hour access to everything that's happening in the world. Most of which we can't do anything about. Now, I agree that it's important to be on top of issues in the news, especially when it pertains directly to our own lives, but you have to be able to cope with the barrage of information that you're inviting into your home. I'm sure there are a number of people out there who have become depressed, fearful and angry from getting an overdose of watching the news day in and day out.

Sometimes we can focus too much on the "doom and gloom." There are positive, uplifting news stories, also, and we need to start giving more of our attention to those. When our emotions collectively tilt to the negative, as worry, doubt, and fear set in, at what point are we possibly pulling more of the same challenges in for ourselves? When more and more people come into agreement about a particular idea, that collective consciousness can become so strong that it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. If what we focus our energy on expands and continues to get stronger, then let's try focusing on something good.

2. Hanging on Like a Dog With a Bone:

Sometimes when we're really worried, we hold on to a problem so tightly that we block any kind of resolution from coming in. We end up throwing so much nervous anxiety at an issue that it winds up taking forever to get fixed. I'm not saying we should all sit around and do nothing when a challenge arises, but I am suggesting that once you take action to get it fixed, don't keep checking on it and asking, "Is it fixed yet? Is it fixed yet? Is it fixed yet?" You have to let go and release it once you set the solution in motion.

If you don't want something to perpetuate and persist, don't give it any energy! If you do, then by all means, keep checking. Otherwise, get out of your own way. Go work on something else for a while, and stop thinking about it. Because as soon as you do, the answer to your dilemma will show up, your problem will suddenly be fixed, or "that person" will finally call you back.

3. Internalizing Negative Energy:

Did you know that worriers can internalize so many harmful thoughts and feelings that they, in turn, can make themselves ill? When you keep pushing negative energy down into your physical body, that energy can manifest itself and materialize as dis-ease. Worry, fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, stress are all toxic to the human body. These emotions will damage your cells. They will literally eat away at you if you let them. Being a worrier is a very unhealthy position to put yourself in.

So, do yourself and others a huge favor and quit worrying! Instead, just care. Care about a situation being resolved, care about another person's well-being, and care about yourself. You'll feel so much better, and you'll make others feel a lot better, too. Start today by shutting the door on the things you're afraid of and opening a new door in anticipation of better things to come.